Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai. (Credit: AFP)
BEIRUT —- Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai described during a homily delivered on the occasion of the end of the synod of catholic bishops on Saturday the Lebanese political class’s performance as “despicable” in the eyes of the country’s people and of the world.
Here’s what we know:
• “[The Lebanese political class] regularly proves the absence of responsibility and their contempt for people’s pain and Lebanon’s future,” Rai said. Last Sunday, Rai criticized opposition forces for which he had expressed his support for the May 15 parliamentary elections, saying that they “have entered into their regular quarrels to the detriment of national causes.”
• “This critical period requires choosing a transparent prime minister who has experience and wisdom in public affairs so he and the president can form a government as soon as possible in order to take urgent decisions, notably implementing expected, dynamic reforms,” the patriarch added while parliamentary consultations for naming a new premier are expected for Thursday. Many political forces envision caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s candidature for the role.
• Rai added a “refusal of a presidential void” finding it “synonymous with developments difficult to control at the constitutional, security and national levels.” President Michel Aoun’s mandate ends in October, prompting fears of delays in electing a new president.
• The Maronite bishops issued a statement the same day calling for the formation of a “savior government to remedy the endemic corruption and implement reforms demanded by the people and the international community.”